Merivale Entertainment Precinct Concept Approved

Concept plans that pave the way for an adaptive reuse project to turn five Victorian-era heritage buildings in the Sydney CBD into a hospitality precinct have been approved. 

Plans for the precinct—71, 73 and 75 York Street, 46-52 King Street and 104-118 Clarence Street—were unveiled last year by Merivale, which owns and operates 90 brands and venues across NSW and Victoria.

The concept plans cover the first stage of the development, establishing land uses and a strategy for the redevelopment of the heritage buildings. 

Further information was requested by the City of Sydney this year, and Merivale addressed heritage conservation, waste and construction management issues. 

The Central City Planning Committee has now unanimously decided to conditionally approve the concept plans, saying public interest “is served by the approval of the proposal”.

Subsequent detailed applications must be consistent with the newly approved concept plans.

▲ Merivale’s concept plans link the heritage buildings.

Woods Bagot designed the proposal that aims to develop 16,300sq m of food and drink premises, hotel accommodation and ancillary office premises at the heritage addresses. 

The precinct will have a capacity for 8211 people, and includes a 100-key hotel, six floors of bars and restaurants, and two basement levels for live music and a nightclub.

Partial internal demolitions were proposed to make way for the updates, and the panel decided that the plans had “acceptable impacts” on the heritage significance of items in the development site, and is considered to exhibit design excellence. 

Each venue will be launched separately and the first phase will be a more detailed development application to bring the sites together. 

▲ The former warehouse-turned-bank National House at 75 York Street, where Merivale already operates Hotel CBD and sports bar York 75.

The heritage items include Gardiner House at 71 York Street, which was completed in 1887 and houses a ground-floor bar and office uses above, which backs on to another warehouse at 104-118 Clarence Street.

The initial concept plans by Merivale prepare the building for the redevelopment, demolishing fire stairs and non-original partitioning while reinstating original openings in blind arches in its basement levels. 

There is also the former warehouse-turned-bank National House built in 1892, which Merivale now operates as a pub at 75 York Street—its “first significant hospitality redevelopment”, launched in 1995. 

And at Henley House at 73 York Street, built in 1892 as a five-storey Victorian Mannerist-style warehouse and now used as an office, a new ground floor central courtyard of 156sq m would be created.

▲ The precinct would integrate 73 York Street with the surrounding buildings and preserve its heritage facades and interiors.

Merivale acquired the site in 2022, and in its 2024 application said it aimed to deliver a vibrant, safe and diverse 24-hour hospitality precinct that would contribute to the NSW’s plans for a 24-hour economy.

At the time of its announcement, Merivale chief executive Justin Hemmes said that the precinct was “the culmination of many years’ worth of planning and investment into Merivale’s commitment to contribute to the future social and economic success of our beautiful city”.

“Our plans will support the NSW Government’s revised 24-Hour Economy Strategy and Vibrancy Reforms, by creating vibrant and coordinated precincts and places accessible and appealing to visitors and residents alike.”

The 2420sq m Kings Green site is within walking distance to existing and future public transport, 250m from Wynyard Station, 500m from Martin Place and 350m from Hunter Street Station, which is due to open in 2032.

The cost of works for the initial stages is $56.6 million.